Man charged in drive-by shooting

Two women were in Lexus that was shot at; passenger was injured

Sep. 10, 2013

James Finley has been charged and has a warrant out for his arrest

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Suspect also charged in robbery

Six hours before a drive-by shooting on National Avenue, Springfield police believe James “Lil Lewis” Finley was involved in a home-invasion robbery. The alleged victim told police Finley was one of three men who ransacked his apartment May 21. Although the men were using bandannas to cover their faces, the victim said he recognized the gun being wielded by Finley, court documents say, because he had loaned the weapon to Finley just days earlier. Before the robbery, the alleged victim said he had asked for the gun back but Finley said he had lost it, according to the documents. The alleged victim said he also recognized Finley’s voice and shoes. Finley also used a unique nickname for the victim that no one else would have used, according to the documents. Stolen during the alleged robbery was a woman’s purse and a small amount of marijuana, according to the documents. Finley was charged Monday with first-degree robbery.

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James “Lil Lewis” Finley, 20, has been charged in connection with a National Avenue drive-by shooting in Springfield that put 10 bullet holes in a car and injured a passenger.

Springfield police believe Finley shot up the car — occupied by two young women — as retribution for an earlier robbery.

The alleged victims in the May 21 shooting were in a northbound Lexus near Webster Street when a gold Oldsmobile Alero pulled up next to them, court documents say.

A back window of the Alero rolled down and the young women recognized a man they knew as “Lil Lewis,” according to the documents.

The women say they saw the man point a black handgun out of the window before at least 10 shots rang out, the documents say.

The woman riding in the front passenger seat of the Lexus quickly climbed into the back seat to avoid the gunfire but still suffered a shot to the leg, court documents say.

Before the Alero sped away, the women recognized another man in the front passenger seat in the car. According to court documents, the women saw another man, who had been robbed at gunpoint a week earlier by 18-year-old Tevin Williams.

In that case, Williams and two other men entered a home on North Grant Avenue and allegedly pointed guns at two people watching a movie in bed.

According to court documents, after taking $300 and an iPhone, the men left, and Williams allegedly “turned back toward (a victim), and while pointing the black revolver at him, (Williams) indicated he was going to kill him and pulled the trigger twice, however the handgun failed to fire and (Williams) then fled the bedroom.”

Williams was arrested in June and currently faces trial for the robbery and an unrelated assault charge in which he is accused of shooting a man eight times.

Williams, according to the documents, had a relationship with one of the women; she was driving the Lexus when it was shot up, the documents say.

A warrant has been issued for the arrest of Finley, and prosecutors have requested a $100,000 bond.